I've noticed over several threads recently that the trend seems to be heading in the direction of personal insults.

I realize that in a Forum such as this, emotions can run pretty high, but is it necessary to label people and insult them?

We don't have to agree with each other but can't we all examine our attitudes and agree to disagree?

OLO is a place were we just put our thoughts. That's the respected.

All the best.

EVO

well people need to read a bit more closely...o sung wu thinks i'm anti-veteran and harbour "venom and enmity"...can't think how though i suspect it's because PaulL's deceitful posts...read my posts o sung wu, not Paul L's crap...jeez

Foxy I would not be to worried, from where I stand it is just playful banter.

Foxy
It is just playful banter!
EasyTimes, I found something to agree with you!

Foxy it is not a bit unlike what we Aussies are like in real life.
Even the bitchiness can be found in any workplace.
Not a doubt at all I am one of the worst , no do not think it will hurt my feelings it is true.
But research threads years old look closely at the birth of some of todays differences.
Read every post in threads you get involved in ask why some barge in off subject if not to serve up some verbal tennis.
While I can serve it up to my party and union movement too some just can not .
But take any weekend any sport and watch us stir one another last weekend my mate played my brothers team manly vs the dogs, some one just had to get tickled its the Aussie way.

Hi dear Foxy :)

please don't worry too much about 'passionate' outbursts.. I give em..and I get em...

There are those who seek to "surgically disect" me..(Pericles and CJ)
Those who just blather hate and contempt (Ginx)
Those who seek to counsel (FH when he is around) and your goodself.

But I don't mind all that. I posted some rather colorful comments on the 'Protecting Australians Rights' thread.. comparing the article to 'cultural gas chambers' (which I absolutely stand by)

So, it's give and take..let's not supress the passion, only the 'monomania' :)

Personal insults, well.. I do agree, they don't help any argument. (Ginx..Marilyn Shepherd) r u reading? :)

By all means attack an argument or opinion...but when someone manifests the symptoms of moron-itus.... (lacking in judgement) I don't think its wrong to suggest they might currently 'be' a 'moron' :)

I agree with you Foxy.

There is a difference between “playful banter” and personal abuse and cyber bullying. It's sad that some people can't distinguish between the two.

It is happening everywhere, from primary school playgrounds to here on OLO.

Some of the repercussions of this emotional abuse have actually led to physical violence and suicide.

I think it has something to do with adults’ (mainly) lack of respect for the people and environment around them. They internalise their fears and in turn this is reflected in their outward behaviour.

Children see this, learn and accept this as normal.

Generally, family and societal values are disintegrating; this does not bode well for solving the problems that the planet’s societies are facing now, let alone what could face them in the future.

On a more pessimistic note, I don’t think this behaviour will get any better.

Regards

The insults will always be there, Foxy, when people find themselves challenged on their own cherished position. Just ignore the childishness and debate the subject is my preferred way of dealing with it. Mind you, if pushed, I'm more than happy to point out the personal failings of those who won't stick to the point...

A good and creative insult is still a valid debating tactic, it's just that so few are either good or creative.

"Sensible, bi-partisan debating..."

Lol. Not on here. The setup is too difficult to actually debate issues. Adding links, and quotes, even some proof is practically impossible with post limits and various other regulations. This is an opinion site, not a debating one. No one is forced to prove their assertations.

Insulting is just a product of frustration.

They started it.

up the mighty Sea Eagles

used to be the Sea Gulls when I first went to Brookie in 1953 as a young sprog, and yes it was Manly vs Canterbury Bankstown

but to return to this thread, it is my firm belief that Political Correctness is the worst affliction a race can have, be it that of Germany in 1930s or the Gender War we are in now

That is because PC has a dumbing down effect on the masses, hence Hitler saying

"It is a great benefit to governments that the people do not think"

So in my book I find PC posts such as Foxy just blurting out doctrine of pollies eg equality of sexes etc, more offensive than "offence" [if you know what I mean - Valvolene]

Hell, even Uni Students have given up protesting and become Comotosed

"Those who just blather hate and contempt (Ginx)"

"Personal insults, well.. I do agree, they don't help any argument. (Ginx.....)" (BOZO)
___________

You mean, as opposed to those who are consistently hypocritical in their criticism of others BOZO??

I cannot believe you are stupid enough to be oblivious to your own double standards.
_____________________________________________

Sensible, bi-partisan debating will only be such for each individual if those,-(who they accept have a right to disagree);-disagree in a manner which is acceptable to the disagreed with!!

In other words, sensible bi-partisan debating is entirely subjective.

Even in this thread that is clearly showing itself!

I've always believed that emotionally charged words that are more likely to produce more heat than light should be avoided in a debate.
For example, the racial, ethnic, or religious hate words.

However, we're only human, and when push comes to shove - we react.

It's interesting to me to get a variety of opinions on this topic.
And to see what to avoid doing in the future.
'Cause I've made quite a few big ' boo boos' - that even today - I feel embarrassed just thinking about. (Derailing - poor Rob's thread on 'New Sexism?' with my stupid jokes, for one. What was I thinking?
I did not intentionally intend to derail - but as another poster pointed out - I succeeded in doing just that.
I should have taken the discussion far more seriously... )

Anyway, you live and learn.(Never again).

Thank You All for your inputs. They are appreciated.

As I've said in the past - I love this Forum - and you guys are all a major part of it.

Take Care - and please keep posting.

Sensible! name one thing in this world that is sensible! Words on a screen. I think most of you don't even have a life! You nerdy, judgemental, hypocrites. You play war with words, but do nothing.

The Labor Party in Perliament should be above all of the mockery and ridicule that is dished out by a poor rag bag coalition.
I find that Kevin Rudd, Lindsay Tanner, Anthony Albanese Jenny Macklin and Peter Garrett are always respectful. On the Coalition benches Peter Costello, Tony Abbott, John Howard, Alexander Downer were always extremely rude and arrogant. We all on OLO should set a fine example and refrain from calling each other idiots as that in only insulting to the mentally impaired.

Mentally impaired. Interesting choice of words.

ah yes but my very favourite polly Keating called a spade a shovel and shovelled sh** all over Howard

but unfortunately his lovely arrogance went over the top so "the people" voted for "honest john" who then screwed us for 11 years

but the people loved being screwed, and many wish they still MIGHT be

and the band played Waltzing Matilda

Hey Doc my brother owns Manly he got involved when Askin was number one fan.
Votes conservative in An ALP family but the robust debates make it all worth while.
I am a trained sufferer being a Dragons follower.
OK we will never get that perfect world here but there is a difference between bullying, we have a few, and just banter.
I will change nothing in my style some haunt others just playing verbal tennis ,mostly with a racket with no strings but are intent on the target not the thread.
Lets face it the forum is ok we keep coming back and if one is ill we unite why change?

I'm sure I'm as guilty as anyone else, and I unreservedly apologise to anyone I've personally slighted in a pique.

But I know what you mean, Foxy. I like posters who are bolshie and smart-alec-y, but some types get positively brutal. I do *try* not to lay into anyone on a personal level, especially people I haven't had much to do with on the forum. But then there are a few people I guess I feel I *know* well enough to launch into unflattering speculations about their underlying motives.

Sorry Boazy.

On the other hand, there are many posters whose views I value and have influenced mine. Romany, CJ, R0bert, TRTL, Bronwyn, Fractelle, Pelican, and Seeker, inter alia.

I've certainly copped my fair share of abuse. On occasion, it's upset me. But at the end of the day, one must remember that the other people reading the thread are cluey enough to make their own decisions based on the arguments afore them rather than the fact that another poster has called you "ignorant" or your post "insulting or offensive" or perhaps an "exercise in deception" (a selection of flattery recently directed my way).

What bugs me most is when people extropate from things you've said, generally to discredit your view. For example, in a recent thread about refos I pointed out that the men currently facing charges of terrorism in Melbourne do not have refugee status in Australia. Which they don't. But this caused another poster to suggest I sympathised with them. Then, of course, as you say you're a feminist, there are some people who believe:
1. you hate men
2. you believe women are victims
3. you believe all men are violent and/or all sex is rape
4. you believe men are never discriminated against
5. & etc ad nauseum.

That gets on my goat.

But I don't know. Perhaps my very post is just another example of the age old love story, the one where the pot and the kettle make beautiful love together, screaming out flattering descriptions of each other's skin tone in ecstasy.

Dear Vanilla,

Have I told you lately?

You're Terrific!

Vanilla, I’m afraid I have to object to my placement on that list before someone else does. Inclusion with those OLO luminaries is not only undeserved, but has the potential to cause me performance anxiety (how can I ever again feel comfortable posting crap after such an accolade?). Or worse, wake up some morning as a feminist. This new perspective compels me to refrain from loving you.

Dear Foxy, this is just the way we are. Love us anyway.

Tough luck Seeker. You're in our gang now.

Once again, Thanks To You One and All for your posts.

I appreciate your comments and for opening up my eyes to quite a few things that I hope will make me a better poster in future threads.

Much appreciated.

There are gangs on OLO! :)

Reading Foxy's post makes me wonder if I have unintentionally offended anyone as well. I apologise if I have and apologise in advance if I do so in the future.

Like Vanilla, I too have been influenced by other opinions in that they make me re-think and critically examine my own view of the world. Most of us are probably set in our ways on some issues and more open to being flexible or open-minded on others.

Even posters like Col Rouge (sorry to pick on you particularly Col) who I am probably quite different from politically make me sit up and 'listen' to another point of view. The older I get the more I realise life is often shades of grey rather than black and white and sometimes I wonder if the more we learn the less we know.

Foxy I think it is good to have posts like yours from time to time to remind us that there is a real person on the other end of a post. Thanks.

Dear Pelican,

Thank YOU!

I'm so glad that we've achieved a little harmony with this thread.

It just goes to show that most of us do care about our fellow travellers

yes indeed I can see now that all those articles by lovely women at the AIFS [and Adel Horin] were simply written to help people like me to see the error in our wayward ways

but I can't do a lot for Adel as it is some 20 years since I used to don the tie and work in an office [salt mine] and I also stopped wearing shoes, hence no socks in my house so no way I can pick up my dirty socks [Adel's main claim for bipartisan equality]

but I read my latest article in Family Matters from AIFS that my toxic masculinity that caused my family to reject me is because of my long term cruelty to animals

so I just went out the door, cleaned out Allegra's cage [she is my Cockatelle] and gave her a fresh bowl of Trill and a piece of celery

now I feel all warm & cuddly and with my sins forgiven, so I can go and kick a dog in the head [that curious Catholic philosophy on life, sins and confession which I never understood before]

Dear Divorce Doctor,

Someone who takes such good care of his pet bird so beautifully has a heart as big as the great outdoors. Who cares about dirty socks anyway? I apologise to you unreservedly for my previous 'unthinking comments,' on another thread. And, I appreciate your contribution to this one.

Take care.

Look, it has been said here that maybe I need counselling

maybe I do, so here is an image to show the horrific stress scenario I am under - going forward

http://thedoctor.myjalbum.net/counselling/slides/doc1800.html

I hope that maybe at least some kind sole [I caught a lovely sole for dinner last nite] might just understand the stress a person like me is subjected to

I think that should be the stress to which a person such as me is subjected

indeed it has been my lifelong proposition never to sentence my end in a proposition

good nite